In France there are 280,000 registered golfers for 340 courses. This translates into lots of available tee times and no crowds on a course. Tourists visiting France who bring along their golf clubs will not be disappointed or have to face the challenges of arranging tee times as they typically do when visiting Ireland and Scotland.

All in all, the Loire Valley offers everything the travelling golfer requires.The Loire valley area in France offers great accommodation at a reasonable price, lots of things to see and do and, of course, a multitude of superb courses. This region has been providing a temporary home for golfers from the United Kingdom for the past few years.

It is a stunning area and one that definitely deserves special attention for any budding photographers out there. One of the Loire Valley’s major attractions is that usually an impressive, majestic chateau overlooks the golf chateau course.

As its names suggests, Chateau de Cheverny is a grand setting for a day’s golf. The course was designed in 1989 and is located among 350 acres of stunning woodland, lakes and open countryside for a quite magnificent experience. Tourraine is another beautiful course. Although short, its raised small greens make approach shots extremely tough while various natural hazards keep you on your guard at all times. Ardree, a rolling parkland with natural lakes, is dominated by a turreted 16th century chateau that is awaiting development.

Les Aisses is another of those European style courses where you can choose from three loops of nine to form your round. Chateau des Sept Tours and Limere Orleans are also not to be missed.

The finest golf course in the area, however, is Les Bordes, consistently ranked in the top five of France’s best courses. The golf course is thoroughly deserving of its secluded location not far from Chateau Chambord and a work of art. In terms of cost and convenience, Les Bordes is eminently achievable and should rank high on your itinerary.

Built at the behest of the industrial magnate Baron Marcel Bich (of the Bic empire) and his Japanese trading partner, Mr Yoshiaki Sakurai, Les Bordes was originally dreamt up as a private club for their own pleasure and that of their friends. Leading architect Robert von Hagge was drafted in and handed a simple but determined brief “to create a golf course that would prepare French golfers to play the finest courses in the world without being intimidated”.

Construction commenced in 1984 and, with money no object – a useful clause in anyone’s contract. Von Hagge’s creation is today the centrepiece of a course that enjoys to the full its charmed position in the Sologne, the ancient lake-studded forest at the heart of the Loire Valley.

In accordance with the owner’s wishes, scrupulous care was taken to minimise disruption to the surroundings, and what was once Bich’s hunting domaine has been blessed with a course that has been ranked as one of the finest – and toughest – in Europe. Best of all, the place retains an air of privilege and privacy, but is without the tiresome airs and graces that can so often put you off a destination.

The risk-reward element is very much the name of the game at Les Bordes, and though the course does open up a good bit on the homeward nine, your ball-striking is tested even more thoroughly, with the slightest errors multiplied the further back you choose to play. Jean van de Velde’s course record of 71 gives you some idea of just how demanding the course is, not that the difficulty should in any way put you off playing here.

Les Bordes is one of only two courses in Continental Europe to enjoy the highest rating in the Peugot Golf Guide to 1000 European courses.

We run a luxury chateau in the Loire Valley ideal for visiting vineyards, castles and perfectly located to play on all these golf castle courses. It is a great venue for visiting many fine golf castle courses.

Chateau du Clos Luce is where Leonard da Vinci spent the last 3 years of his life. King Francois I invited him and he gifted Chateau du Clos Luce to Leonardo together with a pension of 700 golden crowns per annum.

The King encouraged discussion, experimentation and much thought at Clos Luce. In this pretty chateau, he happily continued to paint, sketch, and work as an engineer, architect, and festival organizer for the court. Francois I found great pleasure in listening to Leonardo.

Da Vinci arrived at Amboise over 60 years old with his disciple da Melzi and three paintings, Saint Anne, Saint John the Baptist which he finished at Clos Luce and the Mona Lisa.

In a corner of the basement is an entrance to the underground passage connecting Chateau Amboise with Clos Luce, giving Francois I a direct link to the Leonardo’s home.

The chateau is open to tourists every day of the year except Christmas Day and New Years Day.

It is situated on a quiet back street of Amboise, a town south of the Loire River between Tours and Blois about 2 hours from Paris by train. The village street has troglodyte houses opposite built into the limestone cliff face.

Da Vinci’s chateau is not large, but it is warm, inviting and personable. You get a sense of his life in the early 16th century as you wander unescorted throughout the sparsely decorated chateau. The chateau is surrounded by a magnificent treed park with a bubbling brook and peaceful pond with paddle boats available to hire. There is a small formal Renaissance garden in the courtyard behind the chateau with perfumed roses and clipped box hedges. It is peaceful, ideal for bird watching, conversation and quiet contemplation.

You can visit his study, salons, kitchen and bedrooms, the chapel and see frescoes painted by his pupils. Renaissance artifacts, paintings, tapestries, and furniture adorn the rooms which have high, timbered ceilings, huge fireplaces and well worn plank flooring.

There is a large four poster canopied bed in Leonardo’s bedroom swayed with gold and red fabric. Cherubs are carved into the dark wood on his bed.

It is most likely that the yellow salon bathed in light, functioned as studio space for Leonardo. It is probably here that he finished his painting of John the Baptist.

The kitchen has a huge fire big enough to spit-roast a wild boar whole. In winter Leonardo would have warmed himself beside this fire.

His paintings and drawings are set out in the park of the chateau with giant models of the most spectacular machines he invented with voice-overs of Leonardo da Vinci and his disciple Melzi.

Downstairs in the basement, 40 models made by IBM from Leonardo’s drawings are displayed. These military, naval, hydraulic, mechanical, and aeronautical inventions demonstrate his sheer genius. Many of these designs were envisioned centuries before they were first constructed. Devices such as swing bridges, a machine gun, a flying machine and an automobile all show sound principles of design.

“A well filled day gives a good sleep. A well filled life gives a peaceful death.” After only three years in Amboise, he died on May 2, 1519 and is buried in the Chapelle St. Hubert on the chateau’s grounds

We run Chateau du Guerinet a luxury french wedding castle in the Loire Valley near Blois. Our wedding castle is perfect for a fantastic french holiday with family and friends and for touring vineyards, historic chateaux and unwinding. It is also a fairytale castle wedding.

A fairytale chateau in France is a magical location for your wedding vows.

A civil marriage is obligatory in France and religious ceremonies, which are optional, are not legally binding in any way and can only be performed after the civil ceremony. To be legal, a marriage in France needs to be performed by a French civil authority. In practice this means that the mayor or his legally authorized replacement performs the wedding.

A civil wedding in France requires legal procedures and advance planning, as well as a minimum stay of 4 weeks and blood tests to complete the necessary documentation prior to the wedding.

As this is usually difficult to comply with, many couples opt to have a legal wedding in their home country, before flying to France for a religious ceremony held at an amazing location like a fairytale chateau in the Loire Valley or in Paris and they then honeymoon in France. Either a religious or civil ceremony in France will offer you a romantic and picturesque setting for your special day.

For a civil ceremony there is a requirement of residency in France which one of the parties to be married must comply with. One of the parties must reside in the town or the arrondissement if in Paris, for the thirty days prior to the marriage. In addition to these thirty days, French law requires the publication of the marriage banns at City Hall for 10 days which makes a total residency requirement of 40 days before the ceremony can be scheduled to take place at City Hall.

Documents for a civil ceremony are as follows:
1. Birth certificate not from a hospital but from the official government Bureau for recording births like the Bureau of Vital Records in the United States of America.
2. A notarized “Affidavit of Law” (Certificat de Coutume), drawn up by an attorney in law licensed in the State of residence of the party, swearing:
- that this person is free to marry
- that the marriage to be performed in France will be recognized as valid in their home country
- and that publication of marriage banns is not required in their home country, neither under States nor Federal law.

3. In the case of previous marriages, a certified copy of the death certificate of the deceased spouse or a certified copy of the final divorce decree needs to be produced.

4. Prenuptial certificate of health issued not more than 2 months prior to the date of the marriage by a medical doctor after:
- serological tests for syphilis,
- serological tests to determine blood types and possibly the presence of irregular anti-bodies,
- and further for females also serological tests for rubella and toxoplasma.
It is possible to have all these tests done in France.

[spin]Regarding prenuptial agreements, if no special measures are taken by the parties with a French Notary or an attorney at law in the States, prior to the marriage, then the couple are considered married under the communaute reduite aux acquets. This means that what each party owns personally prior to the marriage, or whatever comes to them afterwards through inheritance, remains their own property. Only what is acquired during the marriage is owned equally by both parties.

|[/spin]In all cases, it is recommended that the couple contact the Marriage Bureau of City hall upon arrival in France as extra documents may be required, such as a residence affidavit. All the documents listed above must be translated into French for presentation to French officials. Translations can be done in the United States by a Translating Agency or by a certified translator in France. If the translations are done in America the translations as well as the original of the document must be presented to the French Consulate General for verification.

All foreign documents must be legalized prior to being presented in the French authorities. American documents can be legalized by obtaining the Apostille provided for by the Hague Convention which was signed by the United States on October 15, 1981. The apostille is usually obtained through the office of the Secretary of State of whatever state the document was issued in.

[spin]American citizens holding ordinary American passports are not required to obtain a visa for a trip to France as long as they do not stay longer than three months. The visa exemption does not apply to members of airline crews or to journalists no matter what the length of their stay. American citizens holding diplomatic or official passports must obtain a visa before going to France no matter what the length of their stay. Other foreign nationals must check with the visa section of the Consulate General of France.

|[/spin]As the legal requirements for getting married in France are detailed and may be reviewed or amended at any time, it is recommended that you engage a competent wedding planner if you wish to get married in France. Not only will she advise you on up-to-date legal requirements she can assist you with every little detail for your special day.

The story of Diane de Poitiers should serve as a motivation to all of us who feel not-as-young-as-we-used-to-be. Diane was born in 1499, the daughter of Jean de Poitiers and thus a member of a very ancient line. A beauty from a very young age, at 13 she married into another distinguished line when she became the spouse of Louis de Breze who was 39 years older than Diane and a grandson of Charles VII.

When she came with Louis de Breze to the court of Francois I, she found herself immersed in the wonderful Renaissance atmosphere that she loved. This was a time when France was discovering the new wonders of architecture and art brought back to France by Francois I from his travels in Italy, where, of course, the Renaissance was in full swing.

Her elderley husband died in 1531, but Diane remained at court. Whilst there she not surprisingly managed to catch the eye of young Henri who later became Henri II. Although she was in her 30s by then, and surrounded at court by many women who were much younger, she was considered to be one of the dazzling court beauties. Before Henri’s arranged marriage to Catherine de Medicis in 1533, Diane became his mistress. Henri was 14. Incidentally, at the time of the marriage, Catherine was herself something of a looker and she was 18 years younger than Diane.

Despite Henri seemed to try to shun Catherine as much as he could, continuing to pursue his interest in Diane. [Spin] |You might guess that [/spin]Catherine de Medicis did not take nicely to her husband’s pursuit of Diane, especially when Diane was officially acknowledged as his mistress three years after the marriage. The age dynamic added insult to injury, and things just seemed to go from bad to worse for Catherine.

As Henri’s wife, it was of course her duty to produce an heir (or better yet, several of them), preferably male, since, a daughter could not succeed to the throne in France. Catherine appeared to be incapable of fulfilling her duty in this respect. Of course, this failure may have had something to do with the fact that Henri seemed resolute to spend all his time, day AND night, with Diane.

Now this is where the story gets really good.Diane appreciated that there was no love lost between her and Catherine, of course, but she was also conscious that if Henri’s marriage were annulled because there was no heir, he might have to marry someone even less accommodating. Being something of a pragmatist, she made a deal with Catherine, agreeing that on some evenings Henri would spend a few hours in Diane’s bed, then go to Catherine’s for a while, then return to Diane’s bedchamber. We are told that Diane also gave Catherine some practical hints which we guess were not directed toward how she could cook a better pot roast.

Apparently this did the job, because the future Francois II was born in 1544, followed by the future Charles IX in 1550, and the future Henri III in 155l, plus several other children..

So Diane did not exactly marry a younger man. She did come close, managing to retain Henri’s interest and love until his demise in 1559. Although Diane did present an enduring distraction, Henri II managed to enjoy some other interests. One of them, unfortunately, was jousting.

Every so often, Henri would host a huge fete, which would customarily involve consuming copious amounts of wine, eating the French equivalent of a bar-be-que, and enjoying, as entertainment, a sort of recreation of a medieval tournament. Now this would have been fine, as long as the King just sat in the stands and barracked for his favorites. But that was not the sort of man Henri was.

One day, Henri, always the life of the party, mounted his horse and prepared to have a go at his opponent with what we believe were tipped lances. This did not turn out to be a good idea. Although the sport was aimed at simply knocking your opponent off his horse, something went wrong. Henri zigged when he should have zagged and the next thing he knew he had been nearly run through by a lance, which pierced deeply into his eye.

Henri should have known better than to intentionally expose himself to such danger, because there was really no able heir ready to succeed him. In spite of his heroic efforts to produce children by his wife Catherine de Medicis, not one of his sons was yet of age to assume the throne. This meant, of course, that when he succumbed to his injuries subsequent to the tournament in 1559, he left France in the hands of at least one minor children.

Soon a new king on the throne, Diane suddenly found herself persona non grata at court. Since Catherine de Medicis was now in a better position to exact her revenge, being the mother of the king instead of simply an out-of-favor wife, she began to pressure Diane to hand over one of the most important presents she had been given by Henri II – the castle of Chenonceau, something of a sore point between the two women.

Diane loved the castle of Chenonceau. In 1547 Henri II had made her a gift of the castle and in 1551, she had become the Duchess of Valentinois there. If the accounts are correct, she ran the castle with an iron but artistic hand, turning the already lovely area into a garden spot with plants and trees personally selected by her, including such exotic offerings as artichokes and melons. The balls and hunts given by her at Castle Chenonceau became legendary.

By 1552, Henri was spending most of his time, frequently without Catherine, at Chenonceau. It was probably expected that Catherine would want Chenonceau returned if anything untoward ever happened to the man in both women’s lives. But when Henri died, Catherine discovered that Henri had not simply given Diane the use of the property instead, the title to the castle had been given outright to Diane, in spite of legal restrictions which specified that such royal property could not be alienated.

Since it was potentially no longer part of the royal estate, it would be difficult for Catherine to assert a claim to Chenonceau on purely legal grounds. On her side, Diane had not been naive enough to trust that all would be well forever between her and Henri, and she had sensibly set about to make her own castle of Anet quite comfortable just in case.

The battle began, but since Catherine’s power was clearly on the ascent, Diane did the sensible thing and decided to yield, however painful that may have been for her. There is some reason to believe that Catherine offered to provide her rival with the castle of Chaumont in exchange for Chenonceau, but in the end, Diane retired to Anet, where she died in 1566, seven years after Henri’s passing.

We run a luxury wedding castle near Blois, for up to 15 people ideal for visiting vineyards, Loire Valley chateaux and relaxing.
It is a perfect location for a castle wedding. Why get married in your home town when instead you could get married in a fairytale wedding castle.

The valley is full of not only royal castles and renaissance palaces, national museum and large magnificent chateaux, but also medieval castles and fortresses, small fairy tale manors, private chateaux, medieval cities, churches, abbeys, and cathedrals. Many castles and stately homes are open to the public: some are state owned, such as Chambord and Blois; others are private, and still lived in. A huge percentage of them run son-et-lumiere shows during the high season. Chateau de Chenonceau and Chateau de Chambord are definitely worth a visit and are close to Blois.

The Loire Valley is a splendid region awarded world heritage listing because of its amazing castles. We operate a luxury rental castle near Blois, for up to 15 people ideal for a castle wedding. It is a perfect romantic wedding castle.

The royalty of France, seduced by the mild climate and the game-filled oak forests built their sumptuous homes here in the Loire Valley. They surrounded themselves with the greatest artists and architects of this era. This is the country of a thousand castles.

Chateau Blois
Chateau Blois is almost like four separate chateaux rolled into one – so diverse are the architectural styles at play here. The Medieval heart is centred around the Salle des Etats Generaux which is where the court and council were based. Flamboyant Gothic flair is evident in the Louis XII wing whereas Renaissance architecture is the dominant style in the Francois 1 wing. It is in the Francois 1 wing that you’ll find Catherine de Medici’s private rooms complete with array of poisons. This was also the spot where the Duc de Guise was brutally murdered in 1588 after he was thought to be planning a Catholic uprising against Henri III. Apparently, it was Henri who carried out the deed himself only to be murdered himself a year later by a monk. Evenings are a particularly good time to visit Blois especially if you book to see the ‘son et lumiere’ shows that recount the chateau’s turbulent past.

Chateau de Blois: Place du Chateau, Blois, 41000 Tel: +33 (0)2 54 90 33 33 Open: Closed on 25th Dec and 1st Jan

Chateau du Chaumont
Chateau du Chaumont is located on the southern bank of the Loire River about twenty minutes west of Blois. It was the first chateau at Chaumont-sur-Loire, Loir-et-Cher, France. Originating in the eleventh century, it was built by Eudes II, Count of Blois.

In 1560, the castle became the property of Catherine de’ Medici who entertained numerous astrologers there, including Nostradamus. On the death of her husband, King Henry II, Catherine used her power to take over the much coveted Chateau de Chenonceau from her husband’s mistress, Diane de Poitiers. As certain legalities had to be met, Diane was forced to accept the Chateau de Chaumont as payment for her beloved Chenonceau.

The chateau holds an international garden event covering a different theme each year from April to October.

Chateau de Beauregard
Chateau de Beauregard was largely built at the same time as Chateau de Cheverny as a hunting lodge for Francois I. It is famous for its Galerie des Portraits which comprises over 327 portraits of Kings and their mistresses plus famous dignitaries from fourteenth to 17th centuries. Take note of the unique flooring that is covered in 17th century porcelain tiles.

Chateau de Beauregard: 6 kilometres south of Blois, Cellettes, 41120 Tel: +33 (0)2 54 70 36 74 Open: Closed Wed in winter months and entirely for the month of January

Chateau de Villandry
Villandry was one of the last of the very big castles built around 1536 in the Loire valley during the renaissance. It houses some interesting and very valuable antiques and furnishings but it is probably best known for its Italian Renaissance garden created by Dr Carvallo. As well as being very ornate and decorative, the gardens produce fruit, vegetables and herbs which are sold locally to raise funds for the maintenance of the chateau.

Chateau de Cheverney
Chateau de Cheverny is unmistakedly the most lavishly furnished of all the Loire Chateaux. Built between 1604 and 1634 little has changed. Its present owner is a direct descendant of the original owner and his 70 hounds or so are still used for regular stag hunting. Some of the chateau’s masterpieces include paintings by old masters, tapestries from Paris and Holland plus Louis XIV’s commode and unforgettable grandfather clock. The 1640s interior decoration, consisting of panelling, painted ceilings, and fireplaces, and paintings by Jean Monnier, is among the finest of its kind.

There are two interesting facts pertaining to Cheverny. Firstly, serious Tintin fans will note that Herge based the mythical Moulinsart on Cheverny. If this appeals, check out the Tintin exhibition situated directly opposite the chateau. Secondly, the 18th century Orangerie served as a hiding place for the Mona Lisa during world war 2. From here, you’ll be able to take in the majesty of the park and its canals which are open to the public from April to November.

Chateau de Cheverny: 16 kilometres south-east of Blois, Cheverny, 41700 Tel: +33 (0)2 54 79 96 29 Open: Open daily

Chateau de Chenonceau
Le Chateau des Dames built on a bridge across the river Cher is one of the more beautiful castles of the Loire with elegant turrets, arches and stately avenues bordered by plane trees. It’s romantic feel is further heightened by the fact that its stylised and symmetrical structure is reflected in the waters of the Cher.

Chenonceau owes much of its design and beauty to four women in particular. It was Catherine de Briconnet who first started the trend and was largely responsible for its early Renaissance style. Catherine then passed the baton to Diane de Poiters (mistress of Henri II) who was responsible for the formal gardens to the left of the chateau as you approach it. Unfortunately Diane de Poitiers was forced to relinquish ownership of Chenonceau to Catherine de Medici (the bitter wife of Henri II) who offered Chateau de Chaumont in exchange. Not entirely a fair swap! Later the castle was inherited by Louise de Lorraine, the bereaved wife of Henri III Catherine’s favourite son. Louise painted her bedroom ceiling black and white out of respect for her late husband.

Madame Dupin also had a pivotal role in the development of Chenonceau in the 18th century and was responsible for encouraging literary events to be held here. The likes of Rousseau, Voltaire and Montesquieu all spending time here. Today Chenonceau is a profitable business owned by the Menier family who are known as respected chocolatiers.

Chateau de Chenonceaux: Chateau de Chenonceau, 30 minutes from Blois, Chenonceau, 37150 Tel: +33 (0)2 47 23 90 07 Open: Closed 25th Dec & 1st Jan, 1st May

Chateau de Chenonceau
Le Chateau des Dames built on a bridge across the river Cher is one of the more beautiful castles of the Loire with elegant turrets, arches and stately avenues bordered by plane trees. It’s romantic feel is further heightened by the fact that its stylised and symmetrical structure is reflected in the waters of the Cher.

Chenonceau owes much of its design and beauty to four women in particular. It was Catherine de Briconnet who first started the trend and was largely responsible for its early Renaissance style. Catherine then passed the baton to Diane de Poiters (mistress of Henri II) who was responsible for the formal gardens to the left of the chateau as you approach it. Unfortunately Diane de Poitiers was forced to relinquish ownership of Chenonceau to Catherine de Medici (the bitter wife of Henri II) who offered Chateau de Chaumont in exchange. Not entirely a fair swap! Later the castle was inherited by Louise de Lorraine, the bereaved wife of Henri III Catherine’s favourite son. Louise painted her bedroom ceiling black and white out of respect for her late husband.

Madame Dupin also had a pivotal role in the development of Chenonceau in the 18th century and was responsible for encouraging literary events to be held here. The likes of Rousseau, Voltaire and Montesquieu all spending time here. Today Chenonceau is a profitable business owned by the Menier family who are known as respected chocolatiers.

Chateau de Chenonceaux: Chateau de Chenonceau, 30 minutes from Blois, Chenonceau, 37150 Tel: +33 (0)2 47 23 90 07 Open: Closed 25th Dec & 1st Jan, 1st May